Get em’ while they’re hot!
I pay attention to food trends. Some I merely notice, then move on with a bit of eye-rolling, while others I embrace. Novelty treats seem to catch on like wildfire – remember “space ice cream?” Others are based on whatever food has been deemed the fountain of youth or a cure-all. They may have their merits, but the fervor around some of these “hot” foods can leave me cool. Both because you can overdo a good thing, and because at times the emperor has no clothes, such as when the study was funded by the producer. jump to recipe
A friend in New York shared a video this week of a line of people running the length of a block, all queued up for cookie dough. Apparently waiting an hour (2 hours on the weekend) for a $4 scoop of raw dough is worth it. New Yorkers do love “new,” but I wonder how long there will be a line. Years after its inception, there is still huge a line for the fabled cronut (a donut made with croissant dough), but now you can pay someone $60 to wait in line and bring you two of them. Did you just roll your eyes?
The trends that I do like are the ones that are just a good twist on an old favorite. One such current twist is with sweet potatoes, called “sweet potato toast,” the origins of which I believe lie in the “Paleo” crowd. Paleo eaters aim to mimic the ol’ caveman diet of very few or no carbs. I recently overheard someone saying that if everybody was “paleo” we’d all live forever. It was all I could do not to say, except for the cavemen who had a life expectancy of 35 years.
We do tend to eat too many refined foods though, especially carbohydrates, and wheat in particular, which can take a toll on overall health. Regular toast doesn’t really have much going for it. Sweet potatoes, however, are being singled out by those in the nutrition-know for their soluble fiber, potassium, and vitamin A… and their yumminess!
Part of the lure of sweet potato toast may be that you make it in the toaster, so it seems pretty easy-peasy. It does take a few goes at the longest setting, giving you about 10 minutes of cook-time, but then just like toast you pop it on your plate and add your favorite toppings. Online videos prove that it works, but I still might suggest using a toaster-oven since the manufacturers of your toaster were likely unaware of the emerging trend when they created yours.
I use my big oven, having spent the better part of my adult life on the fence about bringing home a toaster-oven, mainly because of space in New York City. I am aware, however, of their benefit when the mercury starts creeping up. The traditional toaster method also requires the sweet potato be cut into large “planks” that are irregular in shape. Years of honing my knife skills and being browbeaten by teachers and chefs makes me bristle at this irregularity, though. I prefer tidy little rounds, although they don’t resemble toast – more like sweet potato English muffins. I might have enjoyed peanut butter on top, but have been hankering for beet hummus and couldn’t resist the color combo – gorgeous! Feel free to top yours creatively too.
Another fashionable food at the moment is “sweet potato boats,” which are essentially creatively loaded potatoes that are a meal in themselves. Having spent a lot of time in the UK where “jacket potatoes” stuffed with any number of things are on offer everywhere, I immediately took to the notion. I’m gonna gobble them up them up while the mercury is down, and before I move onto my next new favorite thing. If nothing else, food trends offer kitchen inspiration to keep feeding interesting.
I ate mine with nice crunchy corn chips, which I highly recommend.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes
- 1 cup black beans, rinsed
- ½ cup cabbage, chopped
- 4 scallions, chopped
- Cilantro, chopped
- 2 dollops "sour cream" - optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Wash potatoes and rub with oil.
- Roast until tender, about 50 minutes depending on size.
- Split open and mash flesh slightly. T
- op with remaining ingredients and enjoy.
